Gryffindor's Betrayal Slytherin's Love: Revised
by ruriginryu
Summary: Draco Malfoy never wanted to be like this. He never thought he'd feel connected to Harry Potter as an equal. He never thought he'd see HER again. Not like this. And now, his world is falling apart. What will he do?
1. The Story Begins

All summer long Draco had sat in his room in his parent's sumptuous mansion, bored out of his mind. It didn't help that the _Daily Prophet_ kept Potter as a standing joke. All it did was remind Draco that his father and mother were off serving the Dark Lord and leaving him home alone, yet again, with only the house elf for company. Besides that, he missed her. Talking with that Muggle girl was so easy back then. She made everything simple; everything was black and white when he was with her. She had stopped speaking to him back in first year at Hogwarts. No explanations about it, and Draco had assumed that she was off at some Muggle prep school and had forgotten all about him.

Subsequently Draco had spent hours trying to distract himself, from letters to Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, to reading his entire book collection over. He even practiced spells, charms, jinxes and enchantments that he knew would come up this year on their O.W.L.s. Still nothing that Draco did could keep his mind occupied for long. All he could think about was how lonely he felt again without her for company. Now that his parents were always busy again, he longed for her again. His comfort. His friend.

He would see his parents off and on during the week and share a stuffy dinner with them and an important guest from the Ministry, but as usual their business dinners never left Draco any chance to talk with his often absent parents. Pansy had quit sending owls to him, and he suspected that she was with another guy again. But it still hurt deep down to know that no matter how popular he was with his House, he really didn't have any friends. Not since _her_.

Draco was in his room listening to the Wizards Wireless Network when an owl hooted at him from outside his bedroom window. Looking up and thinking about the last letter he sent to Pansy's he was startled to see Potter's snowy owl gazing at him with wide untrusting eyes. Curious, Draco got up and opened the window for the owl to swoop in and deposit a lengthy scroll upon his bed, then glide right back out the still open window with a letter still tied to her leg.

Intending to see who had written to him foolishly and then throw away the scroll still unopened, he was startled to find it was the Mudblood Granger's handwriting, though it seemed oddly more familiar to him than just a passing glance at a hated schoolmates' homework. He tore open the scroll and began reading;

_Draco, _

_I understand you have a deeply ingrained hatred of people such as myself to which you refer to as 'Mudblood' however I have information I would love to share with you and I am only willing to share such information if you would consent to keep all of our correspondence to yourself. You are not to tell anybody of this letter, not even that complete cow Pansy to whom you show such an intense interest in. Speaking of which I might inform you that Pansy is cheating on you with your sometimes friend Blaise Zabini. All last year when she was supposedly studying with her various girlfriends and disappearing for periods of time she was meeting with him at several different locations around the grounds. I only know because I kept running into them while searching for places to help Harry out with his training for the Triwizard Tournament. If you would like to know the information I have for you, then on the first of September meet me outside the bathroom near the prefects' compartment. Do not reply to me via owl._

_Hermione_

That was positively strange. Why in the world would Granger volunteer information to me? Draco asked himself uncertainly. He could not come up with any sane answer, but wasn't about to complain. If Granger was willing to part with information that could help Draco gain the favor of the Dark Lord, and his parents to see him more often, he was more than willing to try it. Yet, he looked down at her handwriting again, it still seemed more than familiar to him. He wanted to know what it was that made his chest constrict slightly looking at it. Either way he couldn't afford to waste time. As they say here in the wizarding world, time is Galleons.

Deciding thus, Draco applied himself more wholly to the activities which he'd been pursuing throughout the summer. His potions improved, his charms excelled, his jinxes were no longer as difficult and the enchantments he was looking up were much more difficult than what he imagined the first time he attempted anything with his wand. Even his hexes and curses were looking up. Draco wondered why that was but didn't ponder on it too much.

The next day he received a reply to his letter from Pansy and was infuriated.

'Granger had been right. The bitch was cheating on him and his friend Zabini was along for the ride. What a slut,' Draco thought savagely.

'Ugh, why did Granger have to be right? Now the Mudblood not only knew more about the magic he so ardently tried to beat her in, but she even knew more about his personal life than anybody in her status had a right to.'

Draco was still fuming when a barn owl from the school tapped imperiously upon the window with an officially stamped Hogwarts letter clamped in its beak. He furiously jerked open the window and snatched the damn letter out of the indignant owl's beak, before it whooshed off hooting reproachfully.

He noticed that the envelope was a bit heavier than normal and wondered what else was in the letter. He opened it up pulled out three papers instead of the normal two and read;

_Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

_We are pleased to inform you that the Heads of House have each evaluated your merits and have decided to appoint you to the position of prefect for Slytherin House. You are to report to the prefects' compartment in the first carriage on the Hogwarts express on the first of September to receive further instructions from your superiors, the Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts. You will be joined by members of the three other Houses also appointed to the position of Prefect. Your fellow prefect for Slytherin House is Miss Pansy Parkinson. Enjoy your Holidays._

_Minerva McGonall, Severus Snape_

'Well that was a surprise' Draco thought sourly, 'It may complicate the meeting with Granger though. I don't know how I'll be able to meet with her outside the bathroom on the train if I'm supposed to be getting orders from the Head Boy and Girl with Pansy and the other prefects. . . One thing for sure though is that I won't sit beside Pansy what with her being such a whore and running off with Zabini behind my back.'

Setting these thoughts aside, Draco conjured up his Patronus with a message to send to his mother about obtaining his school supplies for that year before she came home tonight. He watched his silvery dragon soar through the window off to his mother with a thoughtful expression on his normally scowling face. This was turning out to be quite an interesting beginning to an otherwise plain year..


	2. The Continued Woes of Draco Malfoy

The morning dawned too early for Draco, who'd spent most of his previous night waiting up for his parents to come home so he could see them. Draco sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and yawning hugely. He stretched his torso feeling immense satisfaction at the loosening of the tensed up muscles he received from the sleep he'd gotten. Surveying his bedroom as he normally did, his eyes paused at the desk residing in the far corner of the room upon which several paper wrapped parcels were stacked neatly.

Anger welled up in Draco. He threw back the blanket and jumped out of bed, stomping forcefully across his bedroom floor to his wardrobe. Yanking open the elaborately carved doors he peered inside his enormous walk in closet. There, hanging at the far end directly in front of him, was seven new sets of school robes, and a set of new dress robes. Draco snorted in disgust and slammed his closet doors shut, walking quickly over to his desk instead.

'Of course,' Draco thought. 'Of course mum would send my shit to me and have one of the house elves put all the new shit she got me into my room. Seriously would it kill the woman to attempt to act like she really gave a fuck? Instead of sending all the house elves and servants, and relying on them to raise him?'

He was fuming and found himself staring stupidly down at the neatly piled objects on the surface of his desk. Draco knew that he could have Maisy, his house-elf to pack everything away for him, and he would never have to look at them until the second of September when he started up on his classes. . It was tempting. However Draco, remembering how _she_ would have reacted to his childishness, decided against it and picked up the first package on the neatly stacked pile.

He opened each and every paper wrapped parcel and sorted them by subject, then by alphabetical order within that subject. Doing so reminded him very much of her. . and he felt so alone without her now that he truly wanted to do things exactly as she would've done. Nobody, not Draco's mother or father, not his cronies and sometimes friends Crabbe, Goyle or Zabini, not Parkinson, who'd so stupidly cheated on him, nobody knew that Draco had any form of obsessive compulsive disorder. The only entity other than Jean who knew was his house-elf Maisy.

Draco shuddered at the thought of anybody finding out that he was OC and how structured he preferred things to be, then began examining his new materials. Potions ingredients that he'd needed replenished, and some new ingredients ordered for this year. He inspected his textbooks and read the introductions to the new additions for his reading list.

After several hours' time spent thus, Draco carefully selected his fifth year Transfiguration book and walked down the back stairs with it into the kitchen. He proceeded to make himself some toast and sunny-side up eggs, and sit down to eat and read. He remembered days spent thus at a local café with his friend Jean. He missed the way she smiled, the way her chocolaty brown eyes lit up with mirth, and the way that she always helped him to be the kind person he really wanted to be, rather than the stuck up snob that his father, and now mother, expected him to be.

As was Draco's custom at home over the holidays, after breakfast he downed several pots of coffee and read half of his book before emerging out to the problem of occupying himself for the day yet again. He turned to the post lying upon the table beside him. There among the assortment of invitations for events addressed to his parents, various catalogues and magazines for the Wizarding world, lay two envelopes addressed to Draco from a few unexpected people.

The first was from his Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange, who was still locked in Azkaban as far as Draco was aware. He slit the envelope open and proceeded to read it scowling more and more as he read the letter.

_Dear Draco,_

_Your Mother and Father have recently visited me within my lonely cell in Azkaban. I am looking forward to seeing my favorite nephew very soon and am overjoyed to know that the Dark Lord has truly returned. I am quite confident that I will see my Lord's face soon when he rewards me for my loyalty. . as he will reward the Malfoy family in due time. I am expecting to see you join our ranks soon as a favor to your family's loyalty to him. I will be so proud of you then Draco, I assure you. Nothing would make your parents and I happier than to see you accepted into the ranks of the Servants of the Dark Lord. When I am rewarded, as I am sure I will be, I look forward to continuing our interrupted Occlumency lessons. Until then Draco, _

_Bellatrix Lestrange_

Draco repressed a sigh of anger and frustration, and then turned to the next letter, which coincidentally had arrived by muggle post rather than the traditional owl post. '. . How very odd.' Draco mused. He slit open this second envelope to reveal the composer of this message.

_Draco,_

_I may not have the time, nor the chance to meet with you upon the Hogwarts Express after all. I have been made one of the Gryffindor prefects. I must present myself to the Head Boy and Girl upon the outset of the Hogwarts Express to receive further instructions. It should be hard for me to get away as Ronald Weasley has also been made a prefect and is sure to be watching my movements. . as far as I know he still has a thing for me but refuses to out with it. Either way If I require your presence then expect to feel a summoning charm at the time I can meet with you. I have much to discuss with you. _

_Enjoy your Holiday, _

_Hermione_

After reading through this letter quickly several times, Draco had several things he was curious about. . and acted on them accordingly. He summoned his house-elf Maisy to him.

"Yes Master Draco?" She curtsied deeply while addressing him thus.

"Maisy I have a job for you to do. Not cleaning or housework either. I would like you to find out where that Mudblood Hermione Granger is staying. If it's within the magical community I want all the possible information you can get me on it. Then I need you to watch her without being detected, not even by Dumbledore or another house-elf until I call you back. Tell me how would be the best way to handle any situation with her, and how to approach her if I ever needed to discuss private matters with her. And last I want you to procure her entire family history. Her ancestry, the crimes committed in her Muggle family, who else she's related to and any possible connections other than herself to the magical world. If there is anything else you can think of to do in finding this information, do it and report back to me understand?" Draco ordered, pausing only to draw breath when he was finished with everything he could think of.

"Yes Master. Would Master like to keep this from his parents as well?" Maisy asked timidly.

Draco thought about this for a moment then, "Yes. Do not tell either my mother or father of what you are doing. Discuss this with no one but me. I thank you for bringing that up Maisy. You may reward yourself. You may begin your task now."

Maisy Disapparated, and Draco leaned back in his kitchen chair musing over the morning so far. 'Of course Granger would be made a prefect for Gryffindor, but I didn't expect Weasley at all. . on the contrary I thought it would be Potter. . Dumbledore's favorite. I can't wait to see his jealous face when I see him on the Hogwarts Express.' Momentarily elated, Draco stared happily at Hermione's letter for a few more minutes. Realizing what he was doing he put down the letter, a bit confused, then glanced back at Bellatrixs' letter still lying upon the tabletop. His face fell. He really wasn't looking forward to seeing her again. Aunt Bella used to torture him for fun, all because of his Occlumency lessons, in which she'd found out about Jean when he'd accidentally let his guard slip. She tortured him mercilessly for that. "Fraternizing with a Muggle girl when he was a Pureblood Wizard" was the words she'd used and accentuated each one of them with the Cruciatus curse for each of her visits before she was taken to Azkaban.

'Great. Wonderful. Absolutely perfect.' Thought Draco angrily. 'First Granger sends me a letter with Potter's owl saying she has information for me that I would like to know. Then my Crazy Aunt Bella sends a letter from Azkaban assuring me that if I don't become a Death Eater my entire family will be ashamed of me. And what's more that she'll get out of Azkaban soon. And now Granger is saying Weasel-bee will be a problem for her. God.'

How much worse could his summer get?


	3. The First of September Part I

**H.P.O.V**

_**Draco's shirt lay on the ground at his feet, quite forgotten. His bare chest gleamed luminously in the dim light of the dying fire. His pectorals were pale and perfect, and his abs . . . words could not describe their pale defined form, much better than she could've ever imagined on Ronald.**_

_**Draco smiled at her, teeth gleaming, with a look of pure seductive longing lingering on his handsome face. He began undoing the dark onyx pants about his thin waist, the color a perfect contrast to him. She gazed at Draco's body hungrily, drinking in every inch of his muscular and wiry frame. Draco glanced up at her, while her breath became more of a ragged pant . . . "Hermione . . . . wake up.**__ Hermione wake up we've got to get ready!"_

Hermione awoke with a start, praying she hadn't been moaning His name in her sleep yet again. . . She looked around her at the room she shared with Ginny in number twelve Grimmauld Place; groggily searching for the young girl she had become close friends with since her time at Hogwarts.

"You were dreaming about _him_ again last night weren't you?" Ginny asked from beside her bed.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but before the words entered her mouth, Ron burst into their room looking as though he'd just been caught doing something naughty.

"Erm . . . Just wanted to tell you to hurry up. Mum's got a cauldron of cinnamon apple porridge downstairs waiting for anybody who wants breakfast. But you two had better hurry or she'll go berserk. Already thinks we're gonna be late as it is . . . ." Ron's voice trailed off as he steadily became redder and redder about his face and ears. He then stomped out of the room and onto the landing, slamming their door shut as he went.

Hermione exchanged rolled eyes with Ginny and got out of bed to dress for the day. She put on a pair of cute denim jeans, a white camisole, and a charcoal gray t-shirt with a see-through lace back, along with black leather boots that she tucked her jeans into.

As she dressed faster than Ginny, she darted out of the room, catching herself before she ran into Mrs. Weasley who was going upstairs to check on Ron and Harry, then proceeded down the stairs and across the hall to the kitchen. Hermione grabbed a bowl and served herself a helping of the thick and delicious looking cinnamon apple porridge and took a bite. The fruit was crisp and tart, and the porridge was just the right temperature to eat fast and still have a warm tummy.

Ginny walked into the kitchen not long after and joined Hermione at the table when Hermione was about half-way done eating, and made herself a bowl of porridge as well. Hermione swallowed the steaming mouthful of food, grimaced as it seared its way down her throat, then spoke.

"Yes. And you interrupted it at just the right moment."

"I thought so. You were starting to breathe pretty hard." replied Ginny with a scowl on her face. "I guess Ron's out of the question now huh?"

"Not entirely. I just refuse to spend my time at Hogwarts pining away for a boy who only just noticed I was a girl last year. It's high time I started going steady with a guy at Hogwarts." laughed Hermione back at Ginny.

Ginny laughed with Hermione. "I guess you're right. Krum didn't really count did he? Still, I can't wait till Ron realizes that he can't have you. I'm still waiting to see if he's smarter than Jack Sloper."

"Well only time will tell Ginny. For now though," Hermione said deviously, "I'm perfectly happy to while away my time in the arms of somebody else who notices. And possibly make him jealous in the meantime. I am curious about whose eye I'll catch though."_ I only hope that He doesn't realize that it's me. We haven't spoken in ages. Not since we both got accepted at Hogwarts. Now he seems to hate me; he doesn't even recognize me anymore._ Hermione thought a bit morosely still remembering the dream she'd been having.

They finished their porridge together, then dashed up the stairs to make sure they had everything packed and to bring their luggage down. Back and forth, up and down the flight of stairs everybody dashed, all looking harried and anxious about the time. The usual clamor of departing for Hogwarts, magnified already by Mrs. Black's continuous screaming, grew measurably louder still when Ginny, dashing upstairs for the fourth time, came crashing back down, propelled by Fred's speeding trunk.

Finally everybody was ready to depart for Kings Cross Station. They set off in groups, each of the teens accompanied by various members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Miles and miles away, at the sumptuous Malfoy Manor, Draco was furiously pacing back and forth aggravated at his still absent parents.

He'd been up since five o' clock that morning, packed and ready to depart at a moment's notice, waiting on his parents to return from last night's _important_ charity gala. He only had approximately twenty minutes left before the Hogwarts Express departed from Kings Cross Station.

"Martin!" Draco called into the empty foyer, calling upon his mother's house-elf.

"Yes Master Draco?"

"Get my luggage to Platform 9 ¾ now. Then come back to bring me to the Platform as well. I expect you to bring me onto the Platform in eight minutes' time with a cozy compartment of my own waiting for me, with my luggage already put up. Get to it."

Instead of replying, the house-elf merely bowed deeply and Disapparated with a loud crack, along with Draco's trunks.

For the second time that week, Draco conjured a Patronus and sent it to his mother, informing her of his departure and asking where they were. After he watched the beautiful silver dragon Patronus soar out the window, Draco wandered over to the mirror in the entrance to the foyer to examine his pale, agitated visage.

He smoothed back his white-blonde hair, and pulled his expression into the sneering mask all of Hogwarts knew so well. Martin then re-Apparated and offered his small hand to his master's son. Draco accepted the proffered hand and closed his eyes, experiencing once again the dark enclosing feeling of Side-Along Apparition.

Martin had brought Draco close to the Platform's barrier, in an out of the way waiting room that was uninhabited and dingy, littered about with old newspapers and rubbish scattered across the floor. All the Muggles passing this area seemed to glance at it and move on unconcernedly.

As Draco drew nearer to the entrance to this shabby waiting area the Muggles' curious behavior was explained by a small grubby sign set upon a metal pole declaring;

_Closed Waiting Area for Platforms 9-13_

_Cleaning in Progress_

Draco hurried away from the room and over to Platform 9 ¾ letting go of Martin's small hand as he did so, but thanking the house elf with a look and a nod. Martin Disapparated as Draco passed through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾ where the familiar scarlet Hogwarts Express train met his eyes.

He hurried towards the end of the train . . . and ran smack into his parents. Draco composed himself and looked up at them. His father was scowling and his mother was wearing the usual expression of disdain while looking out about them, acting as though they had just arrived accompanying their son before he left for school. As if they had been with him his entire summer holiday, which wasn't true at all.

"Oh come now Draco!" his father, Lucius Malfoy snapped impatiently looking at his son's angry face, "You didn't expect us not to turn up did you? Not after that dramatic and whining message you sent your mother. Stop over-reacting. You're only heading off to school."

"'Dramatic'?" Draco asked his father incredulously, "you think I was being dramatic? Think I was out of order do you? I guess I just imagined that you've been gone all bleeding summer acting as if you're always with me. I was under the impression that if you gave a fuck about your kid that maybe you'd have been there to see him off. Maybe make an effort to show up or spend time with them. Excuse me if I expected it!"

"I'm warning you now Draco, if you-"Lucius hissed out between clenched teeth.

"Lucius," Narcissa Malfoy chided quietly, "Calm yourself. Draco has every right to be upset. We've not spent any time with him since before he started at Hogwarts. That's not important though," and here she looked sternly at her flustered and angry son, "you need to understand that you will be on your own in life. We will not always be there for you Draco. Since the Dark Lord's return to power we have been placed in a very delicate position. We must act on his behalf without being discovered. We will be absent far more than we ever were before. Accustom yourself to it Draco. Accustom yourself to the role of Pureblood wizard that you were born with."

Draco looked at his mother's normally haughty and airy face, crinkled up trying to chide him. Then he nodded acquiescence to her words. They set off towards the Hogwarts express, each of them scanning the crowds of students swarming around the station. Draco searching for Crabbe and Goyle, Narcissa avoiding those who she did not recognize as pureblood, and Lucius lazily looking about him as if seeing his son off were a tedious chore he'd much rather not do.

Not long after they set off through the jostling crowd, Lucius spotted something that made him gasp. "Look Narcissa dear! Look! It's that traitor Sirius Black in his animagus form! Exactly as Severus and Wormtail described! We shall report this to the Dark Lord immediately!" he exclaimed excitedly, barely controlling his evident glee.

Draco glanced up at his father's face in disgust, wondering detachedly whether they would ditch him soon to go report in to the Dark lord like faithful, cowering little lapdogs vying for attention. He caught his mother's proud eye, and looked down and away from her gaze. He knew she was just as good a Legilimens as her sister Bellatrix, and was momentarily ashamed of thinking of her like that.

"Lucius I'm sure the Dark Lord would be pleased to hear this piece of news from you, but it can wait until we've seen our only son off." Narcissa said quietly to her crestfallen husband.

Lucius glanced down at his son angrily upon hearing her words and snorted but didn't answer. Draco decided to say goodbye to his parents a few minutes after that and boarded the Hogwarts Express to escape this recent family disagreement.

"I'll write if I have anytime between studying." Draco said stiffly looking down at his shoes.

Instead of answering, Lucius took Narcissa by the elbow and marched swiftly away from his son, disappointment evident on his face. As Draco watched the retreating backs of his parents, he saw Crabbe and Goyle moving towards him from the same direction. He waved them over and scanned the crowd automatically for Pansy before remembering that he no longer wanted anything to do with her.

He then caught sight of a rather large group huddled up together moving away from the barrier to Kings Cross Station. Among this group he could see the bright red of the Weasley hair, but also two highly attractive girls who were vaguely familiar but at the distance Draco couldn't make them out clearly. 'One of those girls. . she looked like Jean' Draco thought a bit longingly.

Turning back towards Crabbe and Goyle who were smirking up at him with similar looks plastered onto their faces, he put the mysterious girls out of his mind.

"I know that look Draco." Crabbe uttered softly. "You just saw a girl you just have to have didn't you?"

Goyle looked from Crabbe to Draco quizzically, plainly not understanding what was going on.

"And? The bitch will be mine in a fortnight and I can move on. It's just the usual shit."

"Yeah?" Crabbe asked sneeringly, "then what was that other look about when your parents left? Are you missing mummy already?" Crabbe laughed at his own joke, Goyle chuckling stupidly along with him.

"Actually it's the other way around Crabbe. Mum and Dad were saying the usual sappy shit like 'We want you to stay home this year, we'll get you private tutors' and 'We never get to see you anymore'! My parents just can't get over themselves. I don't want to spend my entire year at the house being coddled by them. I'd rather be away from them hanging with the Slytherin House than that stupid shit." Laughed Draco scathingly.

Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco all moved off to find Draco's compartment and wait for the train to set off. He allowed his cronies to go ahead of him thinking about what had just been said. Deep down, Draco knew that if his parents ever asked him to stay home instead of attending Hogwarts, he'd jump at the chance to see them more. Even deeper still, Draco also wondered what it was like to ever truly not be alone since the disappearance of Jean, the girl who'd captured his heart years ago when he was eight years old and crying about the unfairness of being born into a noble family and having to look down on others when he'd much rather help them up.


	4. The First of September Part II

The Hogwarts Express moved off along the platform, gathering speed, and Draco moved off down the train, searching for the compartment that his mum's house-elf Martin had saved upon his orders. As Draco followed Crabbe and Goyle he didn't notice Pansy and Blaise Zabini walking past him in the opposite direction, until Pansy called out to him from right behind him.

"Hey Draco! Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" her derisive voice lashed at him, reminding him why he was mad at her in the first place.

"Yeah Parkinson! Somewhere where there aren't any cheating Bitches around possibly where these idiots are better company than sluts and so-called friends." Draco snapped back angrily.

Pansy's mouth popped open into an 'o'. Draco was mean to everybody other than his own house, and usually reserved the last name treatment for those like the Gryffindor Trio, and he'd never ever used it on _Pansy_. Draco knew what Pansy and Blaise were thinking, but decided to turn around to walk away. Before he could however. . .

"Oi! Draco!" Blaise was fuming noticeably when Draco looked at him.

"What Zabini? Finally decided to say something to me have you? After running around with my girl for a year or more you finally drop enough balls to say something after a God-damned year? Well too fucking bad Zabini! I already found out!"

Blaise actually had the decency to look ashamed of what was being said, and backed down to Draco's rant. He then turned his back on them, pushing past Crabbe and Goyle who were staring at him with ridiculous looks on their faces, and ran straight into Hermione Granger.

"What do _you_ want Granger? Draco sneered out. He really didn't feel like talking at the moment, but knew that if he could bait her that he'd get some satisfaction out of the day at least.

"I was actually on my way to the Prefects' carriage Malfoy! Some of us have duties within the school you know. Besides, considering the foul language you were just using on Zabini, I should be docking points from Slytherin! As it is you should be lucky that I don't know if I can yet. So I will be reporting you to Head Boy and Girl." Hermione replied tartly.

Draco's sneer disappeared from his face. He'd completely forgotten. Everything that had gone on today had pushed it right out of his mind. Oh Shit.

"Oh." Was all Draco managed to say before hurriedly looking back at the two muscles standing behind him, who were now focusing their idiotic stares at Hermione. "I'll catch up with the two of you later on. Get me some snacks when the trolley comes around okay?" Draco said gruffly looking past them to where Blaise and Pansy were still watching. Draco dug around in his pockets for some gold and pulled out two Galleons. "And I want my change back too." He said menacingly.

Crabbe nodded mutely, pocketing the gold that Draco had just handed to him, then grabbed Goyle's shoulder and lumbered past Draco and Hermione who were still facing each other.

"What the hell was that about Malfoy?" Hermione asked primly.

"None of your damn business you fucking Mudblood Bitch!" Pansy growled from behind Draco.

"Oh, hiya Pansy!" Hermione laughed nonplussed by Pansy's rudeness. "I wasn't aware that you were in the habit of defending any of your ex boyfriends, much less the ones who can fend for themselves."

"Actually Granger, I don't give a fuck who it is or what's going on, as long as it's a Slytherin, I'll keep you and your filthy mouth from defiling them. Fucking Mudblood scum."

"Oh for shame Pansy! What a lowering of such a lovely lady! But I guess that's what anybody would expect from a conniving Slytherin like you these days, huh Pansy?"

Pansy opened her mouth to continue arguing and trash talking Hermione, but Draco cut in.

"Look Pansy, I don't need you to defend me, and I really don't want you to either. Neither one of you thought it was important enough to let me know about. No self respecting Slytherin did. No, a Mudblood told me by owl, a day before I got a disgusting smutty letter from Pansy that she was supposed to send to you Blaise. So maybe I wouldn't have to be saying this shit if you two acted like true Slytherins but lay the fuck off of it you damn hypocrites! You're no better than a Mudblood or a Blood-traitor the way you two have been acting!"

Pansy and Blaise were now both staring at Draco, incredulity all over their features. Hermione also looked dumbstruck for a moment, then her features contorted and she opened her mouth looking ready to spit fire, but before anything managed to come out, a voice behind her stopped everybody.

"Hey 'Mione. . . uh . . . why are you standing here with a bunch of _Slytherins?_" the confusion in Ron's voice was evident when he finally came up to all of them standing in the corridor.

Draco glanced past Hermione at the damn red-head wondering if he could risk hexing him before school started without getting into a bunch of trouble. Then, he glanced back at Hermione who seemed to be trying to control her facial expression with some difficulty. This decided him against it. However much he wanted to, Hermione would report it immediately. Besides Pansy and Blaise had already moved off up along the corridor after Draco's rant at them, and Ron's unexpected arrival.

"Actually Weasel, Granger here was just reminding us _Slytherins_ that a Prefects Carriage awaits. So clear off. I don't see why in Merlin's name you are here anyways." Sneered a perfectly happy Draco, enjoying the way Ron's face changed colors at the insult. It definitely clashed brilliantly with his flaming red hair.

"Oi Malfoy! If you're not careful I'll dock points from Slytherin for you being a damn git!" Ron snarled clenching his fists.

Draco laughed derisively "They made _you _prefect did they? Bloody pathetic."

Ron snarled again and started forward, but Hermione blocked his path.

"Don't Ron. He's just trying to get you angry right now." Hermione said quietly. Draco noted that by this time Hermione had schooled her demeanor and was now looking quizzically at him. Draco just shrugged as if he were replying to her unasked question and turned around, his back to the do-good Gryffindors, and began moving off along the train again, this time in the opposite direction.

He mulled over all the arguments around him on this day as he shouldered past terrified first years and gabbling third years. How he wished he could be that young again. Not even half involved in all the turmoil that is going on as he is now! Draco felt almost sick at the thought. As much as he really didn't like Potter and Weasley, he truly didn't like to see others get hurt, or be the one to hurt. He'd been dying to grow up and have more freedom and experience than what he did have when he was 11, and now. . . now he wished he were a sniveling little first year again, clinging to his mummy's skirts. Or better yet, still living in that perfect world of four years time with Jean before his first year at Hogwarts. 'How pathetically ironic.' Draco thought sadly.

Draco finally reached the two enlarged compartments kept aside for the prefects, and pushed aside the first door.

"What are you doing Malfoy? Those compartments are set aside for the prefects only!" Hermione asked sharply from directly behind him. Draco turned around to look Hermione directly in the face.

"I'm going into the prefects' carriage Granger. Isn't it obvious?" Draco retorted scathingly.

"I don't see why!" Hermione's voice was shrill, almost panicked now, and she glanced behind her at Ron who was still scowling darkly at Draco.

"Well Granger, I was made a prefect like you and that second-hand trash behind you!"

Hermione looked desperate and faint, while Ron, as Draco noted, was spluttering in anger and turning purple.

Draco just chuckled and walked into the compartment. He glanced around and snorted. 'Blood-traitors, and Mudbloods' he thought disgustedly. ' and sluts' he amended when he caught sight of Pansy crammed up against the window as far away from the two Hufflepuffs as she could get. Inside the carriage already, Draco saw Ernie MacMillan and Hanna Abbot of Hufflepuff, then Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil of Ravenclaw. There were only three seats left in the compartment. Two beside the Ravenclaws and one between Pansy and the Hufflepuffs.

Pansy looked pointedly at Draco, then at the seat beside her. Draco grinned and nodded at her, as if acknowledging her message then proceeded to sit in the seat directly across from her beside the window. This forced Hermione and Ron to split and sit beside the two Slytherins.

Pansy looked murderously at Draco when Ron finally sat beside her because he didn't want to sit beside Draco. Draco glanced to his left at Hermione and saw her looking curiously at him. Draco grinned again and turned back to speak with Pansy, who looked like she wanted nothing better than to slap the smug look off of Draco's face.

"I told you Pansy. I refuse to be around a slutty cheating bitch. I prefer other company."

"Whatever the fuck you say Draco. If you wanna be a damn blood traitor and a Muggle lover then fuck you and you're a disgrace to your damn family!" Pansy snarled back.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, looking between Pansy and Draco. "Now I understand! That's what you were arguing about earlier when I ran into Crabbe!"

"You ran into Crabbe?" Draco said slightly stunned. Know-it-all Granger who'd been the one to tell him about Pansy's cheating was just now understanding it? Was she really that slow or was she acting? Draco narrowed his eyes at her trying to figure out this girl that he'd never really had much to do with other than torment and pick on.

"Hey Malfoy, stop glaring at Hermione or I-"

Ron stopped just in time, looking up at the doorway that was now occupied by two people. The first was a Ravenclaw 7th year girl that Draco vaguely recognized as a pureblood from some of the parties the parties that his parents had thrown over the course of his life. The other one was a seventh year boy that Draco did not recognize at all, but having a suspicion as to who they were, didn't feel the need to be rude to them, for the moment.

"You'll what exactly? Finish the sentence. I mean it" the girl said taking out her wand and stepping forward menacingly. Draco was astonished to see such a face on a girl that lovely. Draco glanced over at Ron, whose mouth was agape, staring at the girl with her wand in hand. Draco glanced over at Hermione, who was staring back at Draco, her eyes narrowed and an odd look on her face that Draco had never seen Hermione direct towards him. It was speculating. . and curious.

'Okay. Now I am really really confused. Normally Hermione would be staring at Weasley no matter what's going on around her in these types of situations. Now she's just ignoring him . . .what the hell is going on with her?' Draco wondered briefly.

"I was telling Malfoy that if he kept glaring at Hermione I'd use the jelly legs curse or make him erupt in hives. He's always being very rude to Hermione. Why?"

"Because you'll pay for that. Starting Monday morning you will be doing double duty with a fellow prefect. And I will make sure you don't like it."

Draco grinned appreciatively. He loved it when Weasley or Potter got into trouble, but doubly so when he only had a partial hand in it and didn't have to rat them out for it. And here he'd hardly had to do anything! Today might actually turn out well after all.

Draco hopped out of his musing when he heard Ron start to nervously stutter about how he didn't see how he should be punished for standing up to someone who bully's Hermione and kids younger than him and that he was only trying to keep Draco from calling Hermione a Mudblood again.

Throughout Ron's explanation the Ravenclaw girl just stood there listening, looking as though she were paying rapt attention to everything that Ron was saying. It was getting boring to Draco, so he looked around him. Everybody but Pansy was listening to Ron and casting furtive glances at the Ravenclaw girl standing in the doorway beside the unknown boy. Pansy however, was glaring alternately between Hermione, Draco, and the Ravenclaw girl who was still listening to Ron's pathetic sniveling.

Now Draco felt quite smug. He was pretty sure he knew what was going on in Pansy's head right now. She'd be irritated with him because he'd not only insulted her by sitting apart from her, but also verbally by defending Hermione back in the corridor. Then Pansy would be upset because of Ron being forced to sit beside her. Also, she'd be wondering why he'd prefer to sit beside a Gryffindor instead of a fellow Slytherin, besides the fact that she'd cheated on him. And honestly, that last part was kind of confusing to Draco as well. It was also obviously not helping her temper that the 7th year girl was listening to Ron's half-ass explanation.

"Okay. Now it'll be double duty with Filch or a Slytherin for two months! Honestly, just shut up before you get more of that. You are a prefect. An example to the rest of the school whether you like it or not. If you continue your pathetic sniveling and hatred toward those of a different house, you will not only do double duty with Filch or a Slytherin, but you will also be relieved of your prefects' status. If you think you can go to Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore to try to get your punishment removed or lessened, think again. They are the ones who ordered that the strictest measures are to be used to keep us all in line this year."

She paused here, catching everybody's eyes before she continued. When her eyes met his for a brief moment, a fierce gleam in them piqued his interest for the briefest moment.

"That includes everybody here. Nobody is to be uncooperative this year, and nobody will be going over anybody's head of authority. We are going to _all_ work together. We are _all_ responsible for the safety and well being of the students here at Hogwarts this year. We _will all_ get along together this year. Those are my orders. Directly from Dumbledore."

Draco was surprised at this little speech. Never had he heard of a Headmaster giving the Head Boy or Head Girl direct orders before without immediate threat! And he'd even read Hogwarts: A History a few times when he was bored. It was a first! So Draco glanced to his left at Hermione's expression and saw that she wore and expression that explained perfectly exactly how he himself felt on the subject. Draco laughed slightly, and everybody in the carriage turned to look directly at him. Including Hermione. Who he was still looking directly at. Crap.

She was so close to him, staring directly at him, right into his eyes. He was startled by her eyes, which had always been hidden by her lashes or looking down, or he'd only caught glimpses of and thought were very ugly. Yet looking at them now, Draco realized they were a beautiful shade of brown somewhere between dark chocolate and coffee . . and framing the iris, were a beautiful multifaceted emerald green color. Draco had never really_ looked_ at Hermione or her eyes, but now. . he couldn't stop. Those eyes reminded him so forcibly of Jean's eyes that he wanted to drown in them, back to the warm days where he was kind and had a friend to talk to and count on.

Draco saw Hermione's pouty dark pink lips curve up in a brief smile, then watched her lips as he heard her speak in a voice that clearly tried to hide laughter.

"Earth to Draco! Why do you think any bit of what she just said is funny?"

"What?" Draco dazedly asked, "oh. . sorry I was just thinking about how there's never really been orders directly from a Headmaster to either Head Boy or Girl without immediate danger in the entirety of Hogwarts history. And I thought of us all getting along as she suggests. . like friends. I thought that was slightly mental and comical, but I'm willing enough to give it a try." On this last sentence Draco waggled his eyebrows at Hermione making her suppress a smile.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but said nothing and turned her attention back to the Ravenclaw girl standing in the doorway. Draco thought a second about what he'd just said and the actions he'd just done and inwardly groaned. Had he _really_ just come on to the Mudblood Gryffindor goody-two-shoes Princess? Ugh.

Draco looked around the cabin at all the dumbstruck looks on their faces. Geez he was gonna be in for it. Ugh. Again.

"Well Malfoy said it perfectly. It's hard to imagine us ever getting along a House, but we all have to give it a shot. Even if it's funny or seems impossible. We've _got to do it._ "

"Excuse me." Pansy addressed the Ravenclaw girl softly, "but what exactly do you mean by all the things you're _saying_ that we _have to_ do. We don't know who you really are, and I don't think we should have to listen to you without proof of your authority."

Draco shook his head. Bad timing Pansy. And really bad words to use. Oh well.

"Ah. You're only partly right Miss-?"

"Parkinson." Pansy smiled back demurely, as though she knew she'd won something.

"Well Miss Parkinson, I am Jade Chang. I'm Cho Chang's older sister. And I am Head Girl this year."

Pansy looked as if she'd just been slapped across the face. Hard.

"I am James O'Conner. I happen to be the Head Boy this year and am also in Ravenclaw"

Everybody looked around the compartment for who had just spoken, then realized belatedly that it could only be the 7th year boy standing in the doorway beside Jade.

Draco looked carefully over at the Ravenclaw prefects for any show of familiarity with the two Ravenclaw Heads but found instead that they looked just as confused and surprised as the rest of them.

"Well I don't know about everybody else, but I was expecting to hear more about our duties. That's what the letter I got said anyways." Hermione said primly trying to get everybody's attention focused back on the reason why they were all there.

"Yes. You're right." Jade said with a more business like tone. "You are?"

"Hermione Granger, Gryffindor."

"Ah. I get it." Jade chuckled. "Alright, we'll do role call then we will discuss our duties this year apart from the one previously mentioned."

Draco rolled his eyes. Of course Hermione would get everybody back on task. How like her. He looked over at Jade as she rummaged around in her pockets looking for something. Draco was trying to see the resemblance between herself and Cho. He just didn't see it. Not on her face, which was more round than her younger sisters' and not in her hair which had much more texture and was slightly curly. Not unmanageably so like Hermione's always seemed to be, but just enough to be pretty.

Jade looked up blushing and sheepish, glancing at her companion James who rolled his eyes then shook his head no briefly.

"It seems that neither James or I managed to bring our prefects' roster. So, uh. . . just tell us your first and last names and your House as Miss Granger did. We'll start with you." Jade announced, pointing to Ernie MacMillan.

"Ernie MacMillan, Hufflepuff."

"Hannah Abbot, Hufflepuff."

"Ron Weasley, Gryffindor."

"Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin"

Here Jade raised her eyebrows slightly but said nothing then looked at Draco awaiting his name.

"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin."

"Hermione Granger, Gryffindor."

"Padma Patil, Ravenclaw."

"Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw. Cho is fucking Hot! Jade, is there any way you could hook up your sister and I?"

And the next thing everybody knew, Ernie MacMillan of Hufflepuff had jumped across the space between himself and Anthony and slapped him hard across the face. Everybody gasped in shock.


	5. The First of September Part III

Everybody was staring at Anthony Goldstein and Ernie MacMillan incredulously. Nobody had ever heard of Ernie hitting anyone before plus he usually got along great with everybody. The same went for Anthony, yet here they were glaring at each other furiously. Draco had to work hard to keep from laughing at the sight. Honestly if one guy was a little womanizer already and was dumb enough to say that to a girls' older sister, much less the Head Girls' sister, then he deserved what he got.

Draco heard a slight grunt from James, who he saw was struggling in the doorway with Jade to point his wand at Anthony. He leaned forward, accidentally nudging Hermione's arm, and opened his mouth to say something, but James beat him to it.

"If you ever talk about Cho like that again I will hex you so bad not even Dumbledore would be able to reverse all the damage done to your slimy hide! Never ever talk about any woman like that! And if I hear of you disobeying me I will find you wherever you are and-"

"James calm down. You know we can't protect Cho like that. Not anymore. Besides that if you hex one of Dumbledore's chosen prefects you'll have to find a suitable replacement before Dumbledore curses you. Granted he is a slimy excuse for a boy, but you know what Cho said and you know what our orders are." Jade quickly and vehemently said while still trying to restrain James' wand arm.

"N-No, I-I'll do whatever he says! I-I'm sorry for saying that about Cho!" Anthony said plainly fearful of James' threats to him.

Jade looked over at Goldstein with murder in her eyes hissing softly "I won't damage your body in any way Mr. Goldstein. However if you _are_ continuing to play girls and be a womanizer, especially around my sister I will damage your reputation so bad no female apart from your mother would go near you with a forty-nine foot broomstick! Never speak of Cho that way again!"

James looked at Jade tenderly and stopped resisting. He turned away from all of them to put his hands upon Jade's shoulders and his forehead against hers, staring into her enraged eyes.

'_Almost as if they are lovers . . . no Dumbledore wouldn't put two people in the position of Head Boy and Head Girl if they were together._' Draco thought curiously watching as James and Jade pulled apart, seeming to have renewed each others' strength and resolve in that brief space of time.

By this time everybody, including Pansy and Anthony, were ogling the two as they turned back to the prefects in the carriage that they were to be addressing. Jade looked slightly embarrassed as her cheeks began to flush a furious red. James stepped in front of her screening her face and spoke in a clear, commanding voice.

"You are by no means the only prefects this year. As you know, we keep the prefects chosen in their fifth year until they graduate, are promoted, or get dismissed from duties by severely breaking the rules they are supposed to be upholding.

"Once we have given you an overview of your prefect duties we will bring in the other prefects who are older than you, make introductions, and give out the passwords for the start of term. Afterwards we will dismiss you to your separate carriages, and to patrol the train every so often to keep order. We must protect those new students on their first day until we get to Hogsmeade station where they will be ferried across by boat to the Sorting. Also we must keep the older students returning to Hogwarts in high spirits from doing too much start of term magic. . Especially directed towards one another."

"Right," Jade agreed clearly while stepping around James to take over the instructions. "Take your patrol seriously though, because it will show how much you can be trusted with your prefect duties, and it will be a sort of practice for the extra duties you have starting this year. Your grades will also affect your prefect duties. If you fail consecutively in more than one course you will be put on probation until your grades pick up. Probation will include restricted Hogsmeade visits, extra homework, remedial classes or detentions.

"We cannot stress enough the importance of your roles as school prefects. The entire student body looks up to us to relay information to the faculty and deal with issues. We act as guidance counselors, servants, student council, and repairmen for any problems within the castle that a faculty member assigns us through our reports.

"In addition," James continued smoothly from Jade's speech, "We have the extra guard duty at nights that Dumbledore has assigned us. We decorate the castle during Holiday seasons, and we help set up the entertainment that Dumbledore chooses for the Feasts throughout the year. Students submit club meeting schedules to us to be turned in to our Heads of House and to be posted on the Bulletin in our Common Rooms. Jade and I make up the schedules for patrol duty at night and during breaks. If there are any issues with it talk to Jade and I and we may be able to shift some things around. You may see a complete posting of the hours you are to patrol within the Head Girl and Head Boy chambers on the second floor near the faculty room. We will hold meetings there in our common room. Any problems with out of order toilets or bathrooms are reported to us and, if we can deal with it quickly, are also repaired by us.

"Prefects gather information from the general student body such as requests, problems, inquiries and rule-breaking. If you abuse your position, we will find out about it, and action will be taken. You may be the first chosen in your year as prefect, but any of your other classmates could replace you if you abuse your position as prefect. You are in this role to hone your leadership skills, to prepare you for life outside school. It is a privilege, not a right, as are Hogsmeade visits.

"You may only give detentions if you are acting in the stead of a teacher such as during breaks, study hall duty, or hallway duty." Jade continued smoothly yet again from the stream of James' words. "If any detentions are given outside of those parameters, you will be asked to discuss it with the two Heads of Houses one from the offending student and or your own to decide. If you give a detention within the prescribed time periods, you are to submit three copies of a report over the offense and your reasons for the detention given. One each for the Heads of House(s) involved, and one for us to keep on record in the Head Boy and Head Girl Commons.

"We also help to find work for students to do during detention. We get requests from teachers and faculty for help all over the castle, and we list it each week then submit it to the teachers to assign to students found breaking rules in their presence. You may discuss report method with me, James, or Professor McGonagall who is deputy Headmistress.

Jade looked all around at them, catching each person's eyes before moving on, "You may request a copy of our speech today from either one of us, as well as a complete copy of the rules, which Filch insists on you having to help prevent any illegal substances from entering Hogwarts, at the end of the day tomorrow or anytime thenceforth. Understood?"

There was a belated chorus of "Yes ma'am!" from all around the carriage. Draco was impressed. These two worked together smoothly and flawlessly. Each knew what the other was trying to accomplish and worked to achieve the others' ends as well as their own. He could see exactly why Professor Dumbledore chose these two as Head Boy and Head Girl. They were efficient and well organized, with thoughts, actions, and words.

Now that their duties had been explained to them, Jade and James settled back against opposite sides of the compartment door surveying the prefects before them. "Remember your duties, execute them well, and protect the students of Hogwarts. No matter what happens this year, we can only rely upon the administrators of this school to protect what we hold dear here at this school."James said gravely.

"Now, any questions before we introduce the previous years' prefects and discuss the first few weeks worth of shifts?" Jade asked with a glint of what looked to Draco like malice in her eye.

Draco looked around at his fellow companions wondering if anybody else had caught that malicious glint, but the only person to have any different facial feature was Hermione. Her eyes were slightly narrowed as though in concentration, her lips were parted slightly, and she was leaning forward ever so much with a sort of passionate tension in the arch of her lower back. She seemed to Draco on the brink of a decision, a slight hesitation before plunging into whatever was before her. To Draco, Hermione right then seemed just like his old friend Jean.

His mouth popped open in an 'o' while watching her, and was yet again about to speak as Hermione raised her hand and spoke quickly.

"Um- actually I do have a question Jade. . . though it is slightly embarrassing. Can somebody show me where the ladies' loo is this end of the train? I've only been this far down once, and I didn't use the bathroom…" Hermione asked in what seemed a tentative voice, blushing perfectly as though embarrassed for such an unladylike question, and glancing from below her eyelashes at Anthony Goldstein as though he were the reason for such embarrassment.

For some reason, Draco knew instinctively that it was a complete act, a very convincing act played by a very thorough actress, but an act nonetheless. He knew it deep down, as though viewing it through some lost tunnels of memory and time, that somehow, he knew Hermione better even than Ron or Harry did. In his surprise Draco blurted out loudly and confidently "I know!"

And yet again, Draco found himself being the object of many curious stares within the company of peers who thought he was complete and utter evil '. . Well, except for Pansy of course, but still . . ' Draco thought sighing inwardly.

"I know where the ladies water closet is on this side of the train." Draco amended in a much calmer and admittedly smooth demeanor.

"Very well Draco Malfoy of Slytherin House." Jade said imperiously.

"You may escort Miss Granger of Gryffindor House to the Ladies Room on this end of the train since you know where to find it." James said with a strange tone of voice that Draco could only assume was curiosity from such an odd guy.


	6. The First of September Part IV

"Oh. Okay." Hermione said from beside Draco in what appeared for all the world to be a crestfallen voice, glancing yet again at Anthony as though she had been hoping for him to accompany her to the restroom. This time both Ron and Padma noticed Hermione's slight glance from beneath her eyelashes at the witless Anthony Goldstein and both shot Hermione reproachful looks.

Draco motioned for Hermione to get to her feet first so he could follow her out of the compartment, but as she stood up, a particularly nasty lurch of the Hogwarts Express going around a bend sent Hermione, already unsteady on her feet, falling straight towards Ron's lap.

Before he knew it Draco had grabbed Hermione around the waist to prevent her from falling face first into the Weasel's crotch, and as the train gave another nasty lurch, jolted them backwards onto their recently vacated seats. Hermione blushed a crimson color and rose unsteadily back to her feet and stepped over to the compartment door sliding it open and waiting on Draco to hurry over to her and follow her out to the corridor of the train.

As soon as Draco slid the compartment closed behind him, Hermione set a brisk pace down the hall towards the center of the train. Draco watched her as he easily kept up with her. She was only just shorter than he was. She still had very frizzy, very curly hair yet she didn't seem that unattractive. Last year when he had shot a spell at Potter and accidentally hit Hermione instead her teeth had grown more abnormally large than ever they were before, and Draco knew that when Madam Pomfrey had shrunk Hermione's teeth that Hermione had let the school nurse carry on a bit further thereby fixing Hermione's overlarge teeth. Draco had known the very next day when he was in class and she'd flashed a malicious grin his way during potions.

Yet other than her frizzy hair and once abnormally large teeth, Hermione was a very attractive girl. He'd heard many other guys in the hallways talking about her, and almost all of their comments were usually if she'd stop being such a know-it-all and hung around girls rather than Ron and Harry that they'd approach her. The general thought was that she was dating either of those two. Draco knew differently from Hermione's owl over the summer. Draco idly wondered while Hermione passed compartment after compartment with Draco following behind her, if Hermione had ever even dated somebody other than Krum.

Finally Hermione found an empty compartment and opened the door striding inside beckoning him to hurry after her. Draco slipped inside the compartment and slid the compartment door closed. Hermione waved her wand, closing the shutters and muttered "_Muffliato_" pointing her wand at the door. Draco looked quizzically at Hermione at this.

"I don't want us to be overheard. That spell creates a buzzing sound in somebody's ears when they come near here so they don't hear any of our conversation." Hermione explained with a small smile at him before turning and sitting down upon a seat across from him near the window. To Draco, Hermione seemed very sad when she looked down at her lap, avoiding his eyes for the present.

"So Granger, what did you send those two owls about? I'm curious." Draco asked in a drawling voice, trying hard to conceal his curiosity.

Draco watched as Hermione nibbled nervously on her lip for a few seconds. The longer he looked at her from this angle, the more she resembled Jean, except with curly hair. . Too curly in fact. His earlier suspicions deepened. Perhaps. . . but no, that couldn't be the case. He'd never once heard Jean say anything about strange things she made happen, or about anything negative really. Not even about his parents to whom he'd known Jean longed to say something terrible to or about but knew he wouldn't allow her to.

Hermione hesitantly looked up at Draco, looked him full in the face, peering as far into his eyes as though searching for some sign or some hint of something she used to be familiar with. Something stirred deep within Draco at the penetrating look she was giving him. Almost like she was pulling something deeply buried within the both of them out into the light. Out for the both of them to examine, but not as objectively as he would wish.

She was pulling out a private desire he had long since abandoned when Jean had left a gaping hole in his chest. She was pulling up all the old memories of Jean he had locked away to keep from being split apart. She was doing something only Jean could've done.

"Who are you?" Draco asked, suddenly quite afraid of the answer.

"I am Hermione . . . Jean . . . Granger." Hermione replied in a soft voice.

"How can you be?"

"I can't prove it to you in any way except to talk to you about it now. I can't show you my memories. I can't do anything but talk and hope that you'll believe me Drake."

Draco looked away from Hermione shocked that his earlier suspicions had been confirmed. _Why did it have to be her? Why now? Why didn't she say anything?_ Draco's thoughts raced trying to make sense of all this turmoil running through his head. He looked back at Hermione who was still staring at him, a look of utter sadness etched into her beautiful face. A face that Draco knew so well yet knew nothing of anymore. And he knew. He knew exactly why now of all times. He knew why she didn't say anything all these years, why she had stopped even before first year.

At first it was only excitement. Just as every first year across the country was excited to be going to Hogwarts, Jean- no, Hermione- was no different. Then, first year, even before the Sorting Ceremony, Draco had made a mistake. He hadn't recognized his friend. He had shoved her aside to get to Potter hoping to be friends with the infamous Boy Who Lived. He had shown that he was like his father. Like his mother, both of whom Jean had so despised. Despised for treating their son like he was worthless. For only considering their prominence as Purebloods instead of who Draco really was as their son. And Hermione had seen it all throughout the four years previously, that Draco had embraced the façade his parents had insisted on, that he embraced Muggle hating, and baiting that he had embraced discrimination against people like his onetime best friend, of people exactly like her.

Draco put his face in his hands, grief over his actions towards her overwhelming him. He couldn't hide it in front of Hermione. Not even the drawling voice or the sneering face had fooled her. She had known, she had always known. And here she was, finally letting him know.

He tried to school his features into the look his family were infamous for, but failed miserably as he looked back at Hermione. She was staring at him, a pained look on her face. Hermione rose and got closer to him tentatively. Still unsure of herself, she put her hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. Draco saw the tears welling in her eyes and cursed himself inwardly. He had made her cry.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. I should've done better. I should've been better. I wouldn't be surprised if you hated me now. I would really understand." Draco said miserably watching a glistening tear drop from her beautiful eyes and marring her beautiful face.

"No you wouldn't Drake. That's why I was always there for you. That's why we were friends. Because you needed somebody to lean on and I ended up being that somebody. I ended up hurting you too Drake, and I'm sorry for that. I left you alone when you needed me, and now we have to leave each other alone again. I just wanted you to know that I was your one time friend. Before it was too late."

"What? No! Hermione, I just got you back! I'm not going to leave you alone now that we know each other equally! I can't do that Hermione! I don't want to turn into those people that I live with! You know that just as well as I do!" Draco panicking raised his voice, his face contorting into a mix of fear and anger.

Hermione shrunk back from him, staring at his features contorted in fear and anger, fearing that he was upset with her. Draco saw what was happening and stopped, looking away from her, trying to reign in his now fully awakened emotions.

"Hermione, these four years without you to talk with have been hell. My father hates me. He thinks I'm far too soft for a pureblood son. The only thing that keeps him from harming me right now is mother's unwillingness to let him hurt me. If anything happens to her, then I have nothing keeping my father from hurting me. From doing all in his power to try and kill me Hermione- my father, is a monster. . . He's far worse than you'd ever imagined." Draco pleaded with her, hoping she would see reason, hoping she would see him. "Hermione, I hate my father, but I love my mother very dearly. And if I don't do what father wants, then Mother will be hurt for it."

Hermione looked from Draco's earnest and pleading eyes to his shaking hands. Hermione thought back to her four years with Draco before going to Hogwarts, thought about the cruel way Lucius Malfoy treated his son. Hermione remembered how she had abhorred his mother Narcissa for giving Draco expensive things and sweets all the time, but now she realized that Narcissa had been apologizing to Draco for his fathers' lack of love, for Lucius' lack of understanding or compassion. Hermione thought of all this and her heart went out to Draco.

Yet, though Hermione remembered all this, she also remembered the years she had spent at Hogwarts already, with Draco taunting her, making her cry, and putting all those down who were Muggle-born like she was. She remembered how Draco spouted all the things his father tried to get Draco to be, how Draco used those actions to become popular and liked by other Slytherins. She remembered how hurt she was over his treatment of her. And she remembered the flame she had kept in her heart for him, which she was now trying desperately to extinguish, before he hurt her anymore.

"Drake. . . I want to help you. I want you and your mother to be safe. And since Voldemort is back, I know that you will be hurt more by your father. But how can I? I trusted you. I thought we were friends. I loved you Drake! Yet all this time, you didn't recognize me once. You didn't try to send me any letters, or find out what had happened to me at all. I can forgive you for not knowing, but I can't forgive what you've become." Hermione tried to convey how hurt she was from him, and all these years of not knowing if it was a lie or if it was just a façade like she desperately wanted to believe.

Draco's face fell in defeat. She was going to leave him all alone again, but this time he would be able to know what happened to her. He would know that she was happy without him, he would see her walking down the halls, hear her laughter, and see her smile, but it would never be for him. Never be with him again. He had hurt her so bad, that she wasn't willing to forgive him of his crimes.

"It's okay Hermione. I told you I would understand. I do. You need to know that I loved you always. I never wanted to hurt you. And that I'm sorry for doing what I did to you. Even in ignorance, I'm sorry Hermione." Draco said softly, tears falling slowly onto his soft pale skin, like diamonds captured in snow.

Hermione's heart tore watching the boy she had grown up with cry hopelessly. She couldn't stand it.

"Drake, I didn't say I wouldn't help you just that I can't forgive you for some things until I know if it was all a lie, or if we were all a lie. I need to know the truth Draco. You're not the only one at fault here you know. I could've told you at any time these previous four years, but I was too afraid of what you'd say to me. I was afraid of what you'd hurt me with." Hermione insisted passionately.

"Okay Hermione. Then I promise that I will never again hurt you. I will never again be what my father asks of me." Draco said stoutly, wiping away his gemlike tears.

"No! Draco you can't do that! Not if he'll hurt you or your mother for it! You just- just have to act. That's all it is. You can do it Draco. We'll figure it out somehow okay?" Hermione said leaning in to give Draco a fierce Hermione hug.

Draco wrapped his arms passionately around the woman he loved hoping that she would never again leave him. Hoping her words weren't just empty promises, bereft of hope but said to comfort all the same.

"Hermione, I can't just pretend that I hate you anymore! I'm sick of pretending to be who I'm not really in the slightest! I'm sick of being a dirty good for nothing Slytherin that everybody looks down on. I'm sick of hurting others for the hell of it! I'm sick of it Hermione. I don't want to do it anymore." Draco said passionately into her mass of curly hair.

Hermione pulled back from Draco still holding him on the shoulders. "So it was all just a façade? It wasn't really what you wanted in the first place? It was just to placate your father?" Hermione tentatively asked of her old friend.

"Well, yeah. If I didn't get into Slytherin then Father would've hurt mum. Even after getting into Slytherin there's always those around me who would tell my father of my disloyalty or my inability to act as a Pureblood should. I have no friends Hermione, only people I use to cover up my true self. Like Crabbe and Goyle. They see me as a playboy conqueror with a sniveling face and no sense of justice, but I've never once hurt a girl. Not unless they hurt me."

"You mean Pansy don't you?"

"Yeah. Her and Daphne Greengrass. I've even helped Eloise Midgen and many other girls in many other Houses. But I can't risk my reputation being blown by those girls. I have to wipe their memories of those particular encounters before they tell the whole school how sweet I am. That's actually what happened to her nose. . . I accidentally added another consonant to the incantation before wiping her memory of me. Then I told a girl that she'd tried to curse of her acne so she'd take her to the hospital wing. It was really upsetting." He chuckled at the end seeing the shocked look on Hermione's face.

"You covered up all those good deeds?" she whispered.

"Yeah. If I wanted to live with my mother and father peacefully I had to."

They sat in silence for awhile, thinking of the others' words.

"Hermione?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"Yes Drake?" Hermione replied glancing up at him.

"What did you mean by you loved me?"


End file.
